Albus A, Fournier J M, Wolz C, Boutonnier A, Ranke M, Høiby N, Hochkeppel H, Döring G
Hygiene-Institute, University of Tübingen, Federal Republic of Germany.
J Clin Microbiol. 1988 Dec;26(12):2505-9. doi: 10.1128/jcm.26.12.2505-2509.1988.
Chronic respiratory tract infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus are common in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Recently, it was shown in a few CF patients that S. aureus isolates produce capsular polysaccharides (CPs). However, it is not known whether this is a common feature and whether an immune response to CPs in CF is detectable. Therefore, we examined 170 S. aureus isolates from CF patients and healthy individuals for production of CP types 5 and 8 by using monoclonal antibodies. We found that CP-producing staphylococcal isolates were randomly distributed among CF patients and healthy carriers. Eighty-five percent of all isolates produced CPs, 77% of which were type 8. Examination of one sputum sample by an immunofluorescence technique suggested that production of CPs is not an in vitro phenomenon. S. aureus isolates from various sites of a single person often yielded more than one CP type. A random distribution of S. aureus strains with CP type 5 or 8 from the skin and respiratory tracts of patients and from the skin of healthy individuals was found. Antibody response to CP types 5 and 8, measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, was not elevated in CF patients with chronic S. aureus lung infection in comparison with healthy carriers. On the contrary, in CF patients the ratios of antibodies to CP 8 were significantly lower (P less than 0.005; alpha = 0.025). The ratios of antibodies to CP types did not change when monitored longitudinally over several months. This study suggests that the production of CPs is a universal property of S. aureus and that infected CF patients do not have elevated ratios of antibodies to these antigens.
金黄色葡萄球菌引起的慢性呼吸道感染在囊性纤维化（CF）患者中很常见。最近，在少数CF患者中发现金黄色葡萄球菌分离株产生荚膜多糖（CPs）。然而，尚不清楚这是否是一个普遍特征，以及是否能检测到CF患者对CPs的免疫反应。因此，我们使用单克隆抗体检测了170株来自CF患者和健康个体的金黄色葡萄球菌分离株，以确定其是否产生5型和8型CPs。我们发现，产生CPs的葡萄球菌分离株在CF患者和健康携带者中随机分布。所有分离株中有85%产生CPs，其中77%为8型。通过免疫荧光技术对一份痰标本进行检测表明，CPs的产生并非体外现象。来自同一个体不同部位的金黄色葡萄球菌分离株常常产生不止一种CP类型。我们发现，来自患者皮肤和呼吸道以及健康个体皮肤的5型或8型CPs的金黄色葡萄球菌菌株呈随机分布。通过酶联免疫吸附测定法测量，与健康携带者相比，患有慢性金黄色葡萄球菌肺部感染的CF患者对5型和8型CPs的抗体反应并未升高。相反，在CF患者中，针对8型CPs的抗体比例显著更低（P<0.005；α=0.025）。在数月的纵向监测中，针对不同CP类型的抗体比例没有变化。这项研究表明，CPs的产生是金黄色葡萄球菌的普遍特性，并且受感染的CF患者针对这些抗原的抗体比例并未升高。
